Wardancer's Story
by Waterflash Arrowotter
Summary: Wardancer is a squirrel, forced from his home. He and his friend are helped by Martin, and must now find out what the warrior wants - before Redwal is attacked by vermin.
1. The attack, the Warrior and the tree

Redwall Abbey stood, tall and secure, a beacon for all things good. The setting sun contrasted beautifully with the trees, darkened by the evening light. This scene played onto the abbey pond, and it shimmered with each ripple and wave on the pond. Around the pond sat a group of dibbuns, and an old otter. The otter cleared his throat; he had promised to tell the dibbuns a story. "Many seasons ago, a great war engulfed this land. Redwall seemed to be on the brink of destruction, until one day, a warrior arrived. It was only through his help that redwall survived, and that we are sitting here today."  
Chapter 1 The edge of Mossflower, North of Redwall, was a hostile country. Creatures lived and died there, none living into old age. Many a warrior were born here-they needed to be warriors, or they would die. Then one day, a devastaing plauge struck the vermin. None of the woodlanders were affected, clearly a sign that the fallen heros had had enough of the vermin. However, many warriors grew restless in this situation.  
Wardancer Bushtail was one such warrior; He was skilled in the trade. His sword was like none other-crystal clear, it had been the work of generations trying to make it, as the heat required to soften it was immense. However, it could cut through anything, and was rumored to be better even then the legendary sword of Martin.  
Wardancer practiced with it every day, showing off by slicing rocks that his friend, a hedgehog named Vergen threw. At one such practice, fate interviened to make two friends become warriors, and save an abbey.  
  
PING! PING! PING! The rocks broke apart on contact with Wardancer's sword. "Keep 'em comin', Vergen. I could keep it up all day."  
Vergen threw rocks idly at Wardancer. "Why do you practice? The vermin are all dead. We don't need warriors anymore."  
Wardancer contiued to slice into the rocks. "I just feel like I need t' be ready."  
Vergen stopped throwing rocks. "Wardancer, I know you well enough to know that your hiding something."  
Wardancer thrust his sword into his belt. "You think I'm completely sane, and would believe what I said, no matter how fantastic or crazy it sounded, right."  
Vergen shook his head. "Yes, but are you really that likely to say something like that?"  
Wardancer replied, "I am. I'm visited in recurring dreams by a mouse in Armor. He tells me t' be ready, 'cause I will be needed t' help him some day."  
Vergen tried to keep from laughing. "You don't have to make up some lie to tell me. I want the truth. But if its too hard for you to tell, then fine. I won't be friends with someone who won't tell me the truth."  
"Vergen, I am tellin' the truth !" Wardancer didn't want to lose his friend.  
"No, your not! You just don't want to admit to yourself that creatures like you are not needed anymore! We're the laughing stock of the area! I don't need you to start telling me lies. Goodbye, Wardancer." He stormed off.  
Wardancer looked down at the ground. Taking his sword, he flung it into the woods. Then he went towards where he lived, alone. He climbed up his tree, and entered into a deadwood area. He sat down on his bed, and stayed there, thinking of how to turn his life around.  
  
Dinner was a communal part of the day in northern Mossflower, leading back to the hostile days when there was saftey in numbers. Various food items, such as cheese, salads, and pies were set out. Everyone got a share, those that were there. Vergen enjoyed the food until he realized something-Wardancer was not there. He shrugged it off-If Wardancer couldn't handle the truth, he shouldn't eat.  
  
Wardancer sat, thinking. How could everthing have gone wrong? He and Vergen had never fought. He heard laughter outside. He got up to investigate when he heard an object enter his drey. A thick smoke filled the drey. Wardancer immediately went for the door, but was quickly overcome. He fell onto the floor.  
Vergen had come to apologize to Wardancer when he saw the creatures, who were young mice, throw the thing into Wardancer's tree. The mice broke and ran from there as smoke began to pour out of the drey. Vergen knew Wardancer should be coming out, but he saw another mouse, this one wearing armor, standing near the nearest entrance. "I'll get them for this," he whispered to himself. He chased after the mouse, who ran inside. Vergen ran in, and quickly put a cloth over his face to keep the smoke, which was even at the floor, from his face. He sighted the mouse crouched over something. Vergen moved closer, to hit at the mouse. The mouse just smiled, and vanished. Vergen would have stood still, bewildered at the sight. but he heard coughing from ths form. Reaching towards it, he found a shattered container with smouldring, smoking herbs. Flinging it through the entrance, Vergen was delighted to find that the smoke cleared quickly. As the smoke cleared, he recognized the figure. Wardancer was collapsed on the floor.  
His eyes were barely open. "Help me..." The words were small and pitiful.  
Vergen dropped down by his friend. "I'm here. Wardancer, try to get up. You need to get out of here."  
"Can't move... It was him, Vergen. It was the Mouse from my dreams... he saved me..." Wardancer's eyes began to close.  
"Wardancer, come on. Try to get up. Don't talk. Focus on my voice. Just get up."  
Wardancer went completely limp, breathing shallowly.  
Vergen knew he had to act quickly-If the smoke had this effect on him, then Wardancer's life could be at stake. He heard somebeast entering the drey.  
Vergen spun around. It was one of the mice. Vergen grabbed the mouse. "What was in that mixture?" His voice was icy.  
The mouse trembled with fear. "I didn't mean to, they made me do it, I only came her because they would hurt me if I didn't get the bod-" He was thrown against the side of the drey. Vergen tied him quickly. "Tell me what was in those herbs, or I'll slowly kill you."  
The mouse trembled even more, but kept his voice level. "Nightshade and pineneedles."  
  
Vergen immediately turned to A cabinent that held herbs. Grabbing herbs from the pile, he quickly threw them into the lantern, producing smoke that smelled just as bad as the Nightshade.  
"You should hope he lives. Why did you do this?" Vergen tried to hold back tears.  
"I-I don't know. I-I thought it w-would be f-funny." The mouse stuttered with fear.  
Vergen burst with rage. "Funny? FUNNY!? Only vermin do what you just did for fun. Your sending an innocent creature to the dark forest, before his time. What do you have to say for yourself?" Vergen was trying to keep from killing the mouse.  
"We all have to go sometime. It- AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Vergen took a dagger, slicing through the mouse's bindings and the mouse in one swipe. Picking the mouse up, he yelled, "And you go now!" He slammed the mouse into he wall. The dagger disembowled the mouse, who fell out of the tree, as he had been standing opposite the door. The muse groaned on the ground as he died. Vergen turned around, and saw the mouse who had led him to Wardancer. "Who are you? Better yet, what are you?" He remembered the moise vanishing.  
"Please don't take this badly; I know how you react to this sort of thing."  
"What sort of thing?" Vergen asked. He was confused.  
"I'm a ghost. Or a spirit, whichever you want to call me."  
Vergen backed away. "Who are you the ghost of?" He went for the door.  
"Please, I have something to tell you that may save your friend. Don't go."  
Vergen stopped. "Tell me how to save him."  
"He is at the gates to the dark forest. He thinks you abandoned him. I cannot convince him to come back here. You need to go there and save him."  
"Dark Forest... You don't want to save him, you want to kill me."  
"I really want to save him. Many lives will change if he dies."  
"Give me proof." Vergen had decided that he didn't like this "ghost".;  
"Do you remember who Wardancer Idolizes? I know that secretly you idolize him too, and your the only two creatures who even believe in that creature. And that creature is Martin the Warrior, who you know of only as saving Mossflower."  
Vergen was shocked. "First, what does this prove, and second, how do you know?"  
The ghost came closer. "I'm the answer to both. Don't you recognize me? Or at least, this?" The ghost pulled a sword from his back; it was beautiful, silver steel, coming to a decorated hilt, with black leather visible beneath the mouse's paw. For the pommel was a red stone.  
Vergen was wide-eyed. "Y-you-your-" He stammered.  
"Yes," the ghost said. "I'm Martin the Warrior."  
  
"I don't usually be harsh, but if we don't act soon, many creatures are going to die, and freedom will be a thing of the past." Martin cut Vergen, who had been asking questions, off. "You need to go. Now."  
"How do I-" Vergen collapsed mid sentence. He was going.  
The first thing he saw were gates. Wardancer was wslking towards them, and they were opening. "Wardancer! Stop!"  
The squirrel Warrior didn't even bother looking backwards. "Vergen, I tried t' be friends with you. Goodbye."  
He got closer to the gates. "I'm sorry! I didn't think before I spoke!" Vergen desparately tried to reach his friend. "I was wrong!"  
Wardancer reached the gates, and turned. "I'm not. Vergen, I'm leaving. I hope that by the time you come here you'll realize your wrongs."  
Vergen reached him. Wardancer walked past the gates. Vergen grabbed him, pulling. Wardancer Slipped, and they both were thrown past the gates. The gates closed. Vergen got up fearfully. "Wardancer, I think we're dead."  
"Good." Wardancer walked away from the gates.  
"Wardancer!" Vergen chased him. "Where's the Wardancer who would never give up?"  
Wardancer didn't stop. "He's dead."  
"WARDANCER!" Vergen yelled. "I just died for you. I killed for you, just a few minutes ago. Now we need to get out."  
Wardancer finially stopped. "Fine. I'll go with you. But how do we get out?"  
"Through the gate, of course." Vergen grabbed the gate to open it. "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHhhhhhh..." he fell backwards.  
Wardancer ran over. "Vergen? Are you okay?"  
"Yeah. It was the worst pain ever." He panted.  
Suddenly, the gates opened. An otter entered. "Wardancer? They got you too?"  
"Who's they?" Wardancer asked.  
"Vermin-they're swarming the place."  
"Come on. We need to do this now or never." Wardancer said.  
The otter asked, "Do what? Go back?"  
"Yes. You comin'?" Wardancer was helping Vergen up.  
"No. I can't bear seeing anymore of that."  
"Bye, then." Wardancer grabbed the gate, and began climbing over. He gritted his teeth. Part of the way up, he grabbed Vergen and threw him over." Climbing the rest of the way over, he dropped off. He breathed hard.  
"Lets go." Vergen said.  
Both of them ran away from the gates. Suddenly they found themselves in Wardancer's drey.  
Vergen got up, and hauled the sputtering and coughing Wardancer up. "Come on!"  
"What...was...in...that...smoke?" Wardancer asked. Screams were heard closeby.  
"Nightshade. Now, we need to get out of here."  
"They'll...never...find...us...here..." Wardancer's speech slowed. "It's...hidden..." He fell into a chair. "So...much...pain..."  
"Wardancer! I wen't to hell and back to save you. Your not going on me now."  
"I...don't...plan...to..." He clutched his stomach suddenly. "Help...me..." He fell out of the chair.  
"No...Wardancer, please. Focus. Don't die."  
Wardancer clutched his stomach and groaned.  
Vergen grabbed a few more herbs from where he had grabbed them before. "Eat these." He gave them to Wardancer. The squirrel had a hard time moving his mouth.  
  
Midnoon came before they moved. Vergen was sleeping when somebeast shook him awake. He quickly turned to see Wardancer sitting up.  
"Feeling better?" Vergen asked.  
"I'm still in pain, but I think I can walk."  
"We need to get going, so if you can walk, we can go."  
Wardancer grabbed his daggers and a foodpack. He paused. "Vergen, was that you last night?"  
"Doing what?" Vergen looked out the door to see if the coast was clear.  
"When I fainted, I felt somebeast trying t' clear something away and clear the air."  
"Yes, that was me. I had to save you."  
"Thanks." Wardancer said.  
  
"And thus a permanent friendship was forged, " The otter continued the story. "Wardancer and Vergen began their journey; Wardancer found his sword, and left for unknown parts of mossflower, not looking back on their home and the horrible memories they had there."  
A fire was lit. "Here we sit by water and fire; both caplible of clensing. We are like the water; usually peaceful. Vermin clense the land like fire, destroying evrything in their path. A.nd, while water can put out fire," he took a burning twig from the fire and stuck it in the pond, extinguishing it. Then, wetting his paw, he continued, "Fire, however, can overcome water, if there is not much, as Wardancer and Vergen would soon find out." He dropped a few droplets in the water. "They wouldsoon be engulfed in the war, known to us now as the two season war. But that's a story for another night. Time for bed, dibbuns."  
The dibbuns complained, but, they were brought to bed anyway. The fire was put out, and the otter went to his room. Redwall abbey shut down during the night.  
WA: R and R. 


	2. Captured!

Chapter 2 The otter sat down to a late meal. The other Redwallers had already eaten; he had been putting the finishing touches on that night's segment. Before he could even get a bite of food into his mouth, the dibbuns surrounded him. "Mister otter, will you tell us more?" They cried. He smiled, and set down his food.  
"Promise to be quite while I tell it, and I will."  
"We will! We will!" The dibbuns yelled in unison.  
The otter waited for them to quiet down, and began. "Wardancer and Vergen had only to travel a day before they found themselves surrounded by a vermin gang. Wardancer, still in pain from the previous night, knew they were in trouble."  
  
Vergen was walking by Wardancer. Wardancer asked his friend a question. "Vergen, how long does it take for any effects from Nightshade t' wear off?"  
His friend looked at him concerned. "It may not, with the amount you got. Why?"  
"My left paw. I can't feel or move it." Wardancer was looking at the paw. He looked at Vergen. He had fear in his eyes. "Will I be able to use this paw again?"  
Vergen reached over to it. He touched it. "It's cold. When did it start?"  
Wardancer turned back to his paw. "Since I woke up. I didn't want t' bother you with it."  
Vergen spotted a stream. "Lets rest over there. I may be able to save it."  
They moved off towards the stream. Wardancer allowed Vergen to examine it. After a few moments, Vergen said, "I don't think I can do anything about it."  
Wardancer looked down at his limp paw. Nothing could be worse.  
Suddenly, the foliage moved around the camp. Wardancer's right paw went for his sword, but a vermin exited the foliage, dealing Wardancer a blow to the head with a club. Within Seconds, the camp was swarmed with Vermin.  
Vergen ran. He was out of range of the vermin sounds, but he still ran. He slammed into something, sprawling.  
Skipper of Otters had been walking in Mossflower woods, and reacted as he was struck, striking out of the thing, drawing back sharply as he was stabbed by a spine. He saw the form of Vergen trying to get on his feet.  
"Don't run so fast, matey." Skipper said.  
Vergen looked up at him. "There's Vermin after me...I had to leave my friend when I ran..." He looked behind him. Sounds of pursuit were starting again.  
"Come with me, mate. I'll take you someplace safe."  
Together, they ran, away from the sounds of Vermin, and danger towards the abbey of Redwall, and saftey. 


End file.
